Better Than Me
by CandyCane85
Summary: Seven years ago Edward left Bella in the hopes that she would find someone better. Now she has re-entered his life, about to marry his best friend. How did they get to this place and how can they fix it? AH/AU/OOC. Rated M for themes, language, and situations!
1. Chapter 1

**This story is going to be very different from anything else I've written. There is going to be a lot of angst, as well as a lot of situations that some people may not be comfortable reading. There will be cheating, drug use, and alcohol abuse. This story is about a very imperfect Edward and Bella and their journey. I promise that they will end up together in the end, but it will be a bumpy ride.**

**This is unbeta'd. However, if anyone is interested in helping me by pre-reading chapters and giving advice, I would appreciate it. I've never written anything like this, so I would love to have an opinion on chapters before I upload them. PM me if you would be willing to help!**

**I have no set update schedule. My other two works in progress (Off Limits and Masquerade) are almost finished – just a few more chapters for each one. This story is not completely written. Right now I have this and an outline. I am hoping to update once every week, but it just might not happen. So please be patient with me.**

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. The lyrics belong to Hinder. Only the plot is mine.**

Better Than Me

The bed I'm lying in is getting colder

Wish I never would've said it's over

And I can't pretend

I won't think about you when I'm older

'Cause we never really had our closure

This can't be the end

I really miss your hair in my face

And the way your innocence tastes

And I think you should know this

You deserve much better than me

Better than Me by Hinder

EPOV

I woke from yet another restless night full of dreams of Bella. I thought that over the years the dreams would fade, but they never did. She was still the star in every dream and every fantasy that I had. My beautiful Bella. I lie in bed and thought about the first time I tasted her.

_We were in the bed at her house, and I was on top of her as I kissed her sweet lips. She was so goddamn sexy laying underneath me, with her body molding to mine. My shirt had been thrown off earlier so that I was only wearing my jeans, and Bella was underneath me, wearing nothing but a scrap of lace that she called panties. I was hard and throbbing and the sounds coming from Bella were making me ache for her. _

_I kissed my way down to her chest, where I flicked my tongue across one nipple. She moaned out loud, encouraging me to continue. I sucked on her right breast while my fingers played with the left one. Bella's hands were in my hair, pulling at it as I sucked and nibbled. I knew that I was going to leave marks, but I didn't care. I wanted to mark her as mine. _

_I kissed across her stomach and ran my tongue across the top of her panty line. I felt her intake of breath and looked up at her. Her big brown eyes were wide, staring at me, as I slowly peeled her panties down her legs. We had never done this before, had never gone this far, but I wanted her. I needed to taste her and make her cum with my mouth. _

_Once her panties were off I looked up at her again to be sure that she was okay with what was about to happen. She nodded at me and I brought my face down to her pussy that was already so wet for me. I could see the arousal on her thighs and I inhaled deeply, wanting to forever remember the pure smell of Bella. I finally flicked out my tongue and ran it across her slit. I felt her tremble beneath me and her hands once again flew into my hair._

"_Please, Edward. Please," she begged me, and I knew that I would give her anything that she asked for. _

_I continued to lick her as she begged me for release. I brought my tongue up to circle her clit as I slid one finger into her tight pussy. Fuck she felt so good and I couldn't even begin to imagine how much better it would feel once I was finally able to slide my dick into her. I continued flicking my tongue over her clit as I slid my finger in and out of her. She was getting louder and her hands were tugging on my hair hard, but I didn't care. She tasted so good and I wanted her to cum for me. I kept my finger in her and brought my mouth away from her and blew across her clit. That did it. She froze underneath me as I felt her pussy tighten and then she came with a scream. I licked her juices as she came down from her high and then placed a soft kiss on each of her thighs. _

The sound of my alarm interrupted my memory of Bella and I groaned as I rolled over to turn it off. As much as I still thought about her and dreamed about her, I knew that I had to stop. I had given her up all those years ago, and she had moved on. And in just two days she would no longer be Isabella Swan. Instead she would be Isabella Whitlock.

I had to shake my head at the complete irony that was currently my life. Bella and I had dated for two years in college. We were each other's first everything. I loved her more than I thought was possible to ever love someone, and I wanted to spend my life with her. But things didn't work out at all as I had planned. I made too many mistakes to count and after two years, she had had enough. She gave me an ultimatum: change or lose her. I was young and dumb and had no interest in changing my lifestyle, so I told her that it was over. She walked out of my life and never contacted me again. That was seven years ago.

About a year after Bella left, I finally realized that change was exactly what I needed. I had hit rock bottom and was disgusted with the person that I had become. I went home to see my parents and I told them everything. With their help I was able to get back to the person I once was, the person that Bella had fallen in love with. But by then it was too late. I didn't know how to reach out to Bella and explain things to her. I was ashamed of my behavior and the things that I had put her through. I thought that she had to be better off and decided to let her live her life without me. It was the hardest decision that I ever made and one that I knew I would never fully get over. But I wanted her to have someone that was better than me. What I didn't know was that the person better than me would end up being the man that became my best friend.

Jasper Whitlock and I met three years ago through Emmett, a mutual friend. Emmett had put together a fantasy football league and arranged for all of us that were in it to meet at his house for the draft. Jasper and I hit it off immediately. While I was the uptight rich city boy, he was the laid back Southern gentleman. He and I started hanging out and before I knew it, we had a strong friendship. Jasper knew only a little of my life in college and the girl that I let get away. I never told him her name or many details, and he knew not to pry. So imagine my surprise a year ago when he introduced me to his new girlfriend.

I was at Jasper's house and he was waiting for his girlfriend to get there so we could all go out for drinks. She and Jasper had been dating for about six months, and I had yet to meet her. I was sitting on his couch playing the Xbox when I heard the door open and I knew his girlfriend had walked in. I felt the air shift around me and I was immediately assaulted with the smell of strawberries. It made me weak in my knees because it was the scent that I had always associated with Bella. I had to pull myself together before I walked into the kitchen to greet Jasper's new lady.

The moment I laid eyes on her again, I knew that I was in trouble. She had changed, but to me she was still the same beautiful girl that I had fallen in love with all those years ago. Her long brown hair was still flowing down her back, but it had some highlights in it that caught the lighting. Her face and body still looked the same, but instead of the jeans and t-shirts that I was used to seeing her in, she had on a form fitting dress and killer high heels. She was the older, more mature version of herself, and I was close to losing it. I saw the shock on her face when she saw me, but she quickly hid it and reached out her hand to introduce herself to me. It was obvious that she had no intention of telling Jasper the truth and neither was I. The minute I felt her hand in mine, I felt the same current of electricity that I always had when we touched. I knew then that I couldn't handle being around her, not when she was with someone else. I quickly made up a story about being sick and rushed home.

Luckily for me I didn't have to see Bella very much with Jasper. He told me that she was an author, so she was constantly traveling for book tours and signings. She used a pen name to write under, and it almost killed me when he told me the name that she had picked. Charlee Masen. I knew that she had chosen the name Charlee for her dad who had raised her. Jasper even told me that much. He said that she never gave him a reason for choosing Masen, but I knew the truth. My full name was Masen Edward Cullen, and I knew that it wasn't a coincidence that she had chosen my first name. I just didn't know what it meant, and I never had the opportunity to ask her.

I drug myself out of my memories and headed to start my day. There were things that I had to take care of before that night. It was Jasper and Bella's rehearsal dinner, and as the best man I was expected to be there. I had no idea how I was going to sit through a dinner that was dedicated to the upcoming marriage of Jasper and Bella, but I knew that I had to try. I had made my choice and because of it, Bella had moved on. She seemed happy, and I refused to do anything to take that happiness away from her.

The rehearsal dinner was pure torture. Bella looked absolutely beautiful in her red cocktail dress. It was form fitting and stopped mid-way down her thighs. I couldn't stop staring at her and my dick was constantly hard. I wanted her. I wanted all of her. I wanted to fuck her and claim her as mine once again. But I knew that wasn't going to happen, so I excused myself early from dinner and went home.

I had no idea how I was going to make it through the wedding. I sat at my house after the rehearsal dinner and drank whiskey straight from the bottle. Even the alcohol couldn't erase the images of Bella. I thought about the way she looked when I would fuck her, when she would suck my dick, when I would whisper in her ear all the naughty things that I wanted to do to her. But mostly I thought about the way I imagined she would look as she walked down the aisle, only in my fantasy it was me waiting for her at the other end, not Jasper.

I was working my way through the bottle of whiskey when I heard a knock on my door. I figured it was Jasper or Emmett, and I wasn't nearly drunk enough to deal with either of them just yet. But my car was in the driveway so whoever it was knew I was home. I made my way to the door and yanked it open, but then stopped and stood frozen in the doorway. Bella.

She was still wearing that same red dress and she was biting her lip. She was nervous. I just stood there, drinking in the sight of her. I didn't want to speak because I was afraid that she would disappear and I would realize that this was just an alcohol-induced dream.

After what felt like an eternity I heard her say my name. I snapped my eyes up to meet hers and saw the blush on her cheeks. She knew that I had been unabashedly checking her out.

"Can I come in, Edward?" She asked and I nodded. She walked past me and then just stood in the foyer. I shut and locked the door, waiting for her to say something. I was still holding the bottle of whiskey, and she took it from me. I thought she was going to set it down, or maybe poor it down the drain like she used to do, but instead she brought the bottle to her lips and took a long drink.

After she finished, she set it down and said "I needed that to do what I came here for."

Before I could ask what it was she came for, she pressed her body against mine and tangled her fingers in my hair. She yanked my head down so that her mouth could press against mine. I immediately wrapped one arm around her waist and fisted the other hand in her hair. I kissed her for just a minute before I pulled back to look at her.

"Bella, are you sure?" I asked and she nodded. She looked at my lips as she licked her own and then she said the words that she knew would drive me crazy. "Please, Edward. Take me."

That was all it took. My control snapped and I crashed my lips to hers. I was desperate for her, and I could tell that she felt the same way. We were both biting and licking and fighting for control of the kiss. She still tasted the same and I briefly wondered if she would taste the same everywhere. I pulled gently on her hair, forcing her head back so that I could kiss down her neck. Her shoulders were bare and I bit into one, causing her to cry out, but I knew that it wasn't from pain. Bella still liked it rough and I was going to give her what she wanted.

I slid my hands down her sides and pulled her dress up so that it was bunched around her waist. Then I put my hands under her ass and lifted her so that her legs were wrapped around my waist. This put her hot pussy right against my erection and we both groaned at the contact. Even through her panties and my pants I could feel how wet Bella was and I couldn't wait to be inside her again.

I walked us to my bedroom and placed her down on the bed. I stood up and unbuttoned my shirt, tossing it in the corner. Bella sat up and began to undo my belt and pants. Seconds later she had completely stripped me down and had grabbed my cock with her hands. She was pumping it with her fist and then she leaned down and licked the tip.

"Fuck, Bella!" I exclaimed as I felt her warm mouth around my cock and she looked up at me with a sly grin before she began to suck my cock. No memory that I had could compare to what it really felt like to be in Bella's hot little mouth again. I placed my hands in her hair and guided her, showing her the speed that I wanted, that I needed. She was happy to give me what I was asking for and within minutes I was cumming down her throat. Bella swallowed every last drop and then raised up on the bed so that we were eye level again.

"You still taste so good, Edward," she said to me before claiming my lips with her own. I opened my mouth to her and could taste the mixture of myself and Bella and it was so perfect. Even though I had just cum, I was getting hard again. I had to be inside her.

"You still have on too many clothes," I said to her as I unzipped her dress. I slid it off her body and then she was right in front of me wearing a sexy black lace bra and underwear. She had put on a little weight since the last time we were together, but it was in all the right places. She was still slim, but her breasts and hips were fuller. Fuck she looked good.

"Undress me, Edward," she begged me and I happily obliged. Within seconds she was laying underneath me completely naked. Before she had a second to even think, I brought my mouth to her pussy and began sucking on her clit.

"Oh fuck, yes!" She exclaimed and bucked her hips closer to my face. It was heaven. She still tasted so sweet and I was like a starving man. I kissed, licked, and nibbled at her swollen pussy, pushing her closer and closer to the edge. Just as I felt her orgasm start, I pulled away and slammed into her with my cock.

"Edward!" She screamed, as she came around my cock. I could feel her tightening around me, and I was a goner. I thrust in and out of her as fast as I could, never letting her completely come down from her orgasm. She was flushed and had her eyes closed as she raked her nails down my back. I could see the mark that I had left on her shoulder earlier and the image was too much for me. With just a few more thrusts I came inside of her.

I collapsed on top of her, trying to catch my breath. She was trembling underneath me and I knew instinctively that it was from the intensity of what just happened. Sex had never been this good with anyone but Bella. After I caught my breath I gently kissed her cheeks, her eyes, her lips. She smiled and snuggled her head against my chest. I rolled over and brought her to my side. The feeling of having her in my arms again was the best feeling in the world. I knew that she was already asleep and as I drifted off beside her, I quietly whispered "I love you."


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you to everyone that reviewed and/or put this story on alert. It really means a lot and I'm excited to start updating this story!**

**This story is going to be very different from anything else I've written. There is going to be a lot of angst, as well as a lot of situations that some people may not be comfortable reading. There will be cheating, drug use, and alcohol abuse. This story is about a very imperfect Edward and Bella and their journey. I promise that they will end up together in the end, but it will be a bumpy ride.**

**Thank you so much to Christag Banner for helping me with this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. Only the plot is mine.**

Chapter One – Nine Years Earlier

EPOV

I really wished that I had opted to go to college in a city other than the one where my parents still lived. I love Chicago, but it is way too easy for my parents to demand that I come see them when they think that I've done something wrong. Unfortunately for me, that is fairly often. I am definitely not the golden boy that they hoped for, so I always seem to be getting a call from my father so that he can talk with me about what it means to be a Cullen.

I walked into the house I had grown up in and into my father's office and prepared myself for the talk. It was the same talk that I had been getting for the past year, and it was really starting to get old. My father was a very famous heart surgeon. His father had been a very famous lawyer. His grandfather had been a very famous banker. We had a lot of money and our name had a lot of power. Unfortunately, my father didn't like that I wasn't doing everything I could to carry on that legacy.

"Edward, have a seat," my father said while he finished typing on his computer. I sat in one of the leather chairs across from his desk and glanced around his office. Not much had changed over the years. He still had the same gorgeous wood desk and leather chairs, and the same rug was still on the floor. The only thing that had changed was the pictures. Although there were still a few of me and my sister Alice as young children, the majority were much more recent, and most of them included my niece, Victoria. I was looking at the most recent picture of Victoria as she played in the backyard when my father snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Edward, I know you are tired of coming here and listening to me lecture to you," he told me, and I nodded. I was really fucking tired of him lecturing me.

"Well I'm tired of lecturing you, son. You're a Cullen. You know what that means. You were given every luxury possible growing up and all your mother and I ever expected in return was that you stay out of trouble and graduate from college. Yet neither of those seem to be something you are currently willing to do."

"I'm in college dad," I replied, exasperated. "I'm only a sophomore. Graduation is a little ways off for me."

My dad sighed and leaned back in his chair. "You're undeclared with a GPA so low that I'm not entirely sure how you are still in college. The kids you hang out with are not even close to being in your league. I know that you at least do pot, if not harder drugs, and you drink like a fish."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm sorry my friends don't have the money we do and therefore don't meet your standards. And I'm not doing hardcore drugs. I will graduate when the time comes, but I'm only 19. I did nothing but study and take care of Victoria while I was in high school. Excuse me for wanting to have a life now that I'm in college."

"The reason that I disapprove of your friends has nothing to do with money, Edward. It's what they do and what you do when you are with them. I'm done having this discussion with you. Get your act together. I'm giving you until May to straighten up or your mother and I will cut you off. That's four months away. If you don't finish this semester with at least a B average then all of your money is gone. And I better not hear about you getting high again. Do not test me on this, son."

I stood up, pissed the fuck off at my father. "Whatever, dad. I will do what you want, but you can't control me forever. This is such fucking bullshit."

"Watch your language, Edward! This is still my house and you will still respect me here. I don't care if you don't like the conditions I'm giving you. You've given me no other choice. Now go tell your mother hello before you leave. She will enjoy seeing you."

I walked out of his office without responding. I was so over his fucking rules. So what if I got high every once in a while? And so what if I didn't know what I wanted to do for the rest of my damn life at the age of 19? I didn't need his bullshit ultimatums.

I did, however, go look for my mother. As much as my dad pissed me off, I couldn't bring myself to take it out on my mom. She was the greatest woman that I knew. She raised my sister and me without much help from my dad because he was always at the hospital. I loved my mom more than anything, and even though realistically I knew that she was just as much a part of the ultimatum as my dad, I also knew that it was because she loved me. I wasn't so sure of that when it came to my father. I knew that he loved me in his own way, but I also was fairly certain that he got at least a little joy out of trying to control me.

I found my mom in the kitchen, baking. I walked up behind her and snagged a chocolate chip cookie that was cooling on a baking sheet.

"Edward!" She exclaimed, batting my hand away from her cookies. "Those are for my book club. Don't eat the cookies!"

I laughed and grabbed another one, knowing that she didn't mean it. My mom loved feeding me.

"So, another book club meeting, huh?" I asked. "You seem to have those a lot."

My mom laughed and shook her head at me. "Most people read more than one book a lifetime sweetheart. I have a meeting here once a month. You should join me sometime."

"I would really love to, but I probably have better things to do than hang out with a bunch of old woman and discuss romance novels," I said teasingly.

She arched an eyebrow at me. "Are you calling me old, Edward?"

Shit, I stuck my foot in my mouth there. My mom had recently turned 45 and was very sensitive about her age. I loved my mom, and truthfully she was kind of old, but I didn't want to actually tell her that. Luckily the doorbell sounded before I was forced to reply.

"Oh, will you please answer that, Edward? I need to take out this last batch of cookies really fast. Just show whoever it is to the front parlor and tell them I will be there in just a minute."

I nodded at my mom and went to answer the door. I was expecting it to be one of my mom's friends, but I was pleasantly surprised. When I opened the door I came face to face with a gorgeous brunette. A young, gorgeous brunette.

I leaned against the door frame and smiled lazily at the brunette, intending to lay on the Cullen charm that I knew drove girls crazy. Before I could though I saw her look me up and down, but she didn't seem amused. She crossed her arms over her chest and started tapping her foot up and down.

"It's rude to open a door and then just ogle the person standing on the other side," the brunette said to me. She was a feisty little thing.

"It's not often that cute little girls ring this doorbell. I'm guessing you're lost, but I would be more than willing to help you out," I replied. I was used to girls throwing themselves at me. Sometimes it was because of my last name or my trust fund, but even when they didn't know about those things they would still do it because of my looks. I knew that I was good looking and I had no problem using it when it helped me.

The brunette rolled her eyes. "Esme told me she had a son, but when she said he was a sweetheart I believed her. I'm starting to see now that her 'little sweetheart' is definitely not the accurate term for you. I'm here for your mother, so I would appreciate you letting me in and letting her know that I'm here."

And the brunette officially went from gorgeous to bitchy in less than a minute. Well, she was still gorgeous. But the bitchy outweighed it and I had no desire to deal with a bitch that thought she knew me after meeting me for all of 30 seconds.

I scowled at her and stepped back so she could walk through the front door.

"My mother is in the kitchen. You can go in the parlor or go find her in the kitchen. I really don't give a shit," I told her and then walked out of the house. I glanced back at her once to see her glaring at me before she walked in the house. As I got in my car I noticed that there was a brand new Acura NSX sitting in our driveway that I assumed was hers. Great, she wasn't just a bitch but a rich bitch. Thank god I wouldn't ever have to see her again.

A week later I had all but forgotten about the brunette. I had actually gone to class that week, since it was the first week of classes. I was still pissed about my dad giving me the ultimatum, but I also was smart enough to know that he meant it and would not have any problem cutting me off if I fucked up this semester. So I went to class. But I also kept partying when I wanted to and kept hanging out the friends that he found unacceptable.

The Friday night after the first week of classes, I went to a party with my friend James. I'm not sure how he found out about the party, because when we showed up I realized really fast that these weren't the normal people we hung out with at all. There were Greek letters painted across one wall of the apartment, indicating that the owner of the house was in a fraternity. I didn't really have anything against frat guys, but James always talked shit about them. I found it odd that he was now willingly at one of their parties.

James saw me eyeing the guys at the party and he laughed. "Dude, I know. I still don't like most frat guys. But Eric and Ben are in one of my classes and they aren't terrible. Plus they said that there was going to be plenty of alcohol and girls at this party. I figured it was worth it to be around some of the douche frat guys to get free alcohol and hopefully some hot chicks."

I shrugged, not really caring why we were there. The free alcohol was nice, but I had plenty of money at the moment and wasn't really concerned with the cost of liquor. While hot girls were nice to look at and flirt with, I had no intention of sleeping with one. I liked girls. I liked looking at girls, I liked kissing girls, and I liked messing around with girls. But I had yet to sleep with a girl. After the unplanned birth of Victoria, I was way too cautious. I had spent too many of my high school years taking care of a baby, and it effectively scared me into celibacy for the time being.

We had been at the party for a couple of hours when I decided to walk outside to smoke. I had been trying to quit for the past few months because it really was a nasty habit, but I was bored. The free alcohol was nice, but the girls at the party were more interested in talking to each other about their clothes than anything else. The guys just kept challenging each other to chugging contests, which gets old to watch after a while. I needed a break.

I stepped out on the back porch and lit up a cigarette. I had only been out there a few seconds when I heard someone speak next to me.

"Well if it isn't the little sweetheart. Your mother would be heartbroken to see you standing out here with a beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other."

I whipped my head around and saw the rich bitch from the past weekend leaning against the porch railing. She was standing by herself in a corner, so I hadn't seen her when I walked out. If I had I definitely would have turned around and walked right back inside.

I took another drag of my cigarette before saying "Well if it isn't the halfway gorgeous brunette who thinks she knows me just because Esme Cullen took an interest in her."

She rolled her eyes but then she smiled. "So you think I'm halfway gorgeous, huh? Why only halfway?"

I stared at her, unable to speak for a second. I expected her to be pissed at what I said, not smile and ask why I thought she was gorgeous. But I decided to answer her anyway, because despite what I wanted to think about her, the girl was intriguing.

"I thought you were completely gorgeous when I first saw you the other day. But then you opened your smart mouth and were downgraded to only halfway."

I expected that to piss her off, but again she surprised me. She threw her head back and laughed, and even though I would never admit it out loud, that laugh completely upgraded her back to completely gorgeous. I was mesmerized by her in that moment.

"Oh Edward, you definitely aren't the first person to have a problem with my smart mouth," she said, still smiling as she took a drink of her beer. I caught myself smiling back at her.

"I'm guessing my mother told you my name, so it's only fair that you tell me yours. Or I could keep calling you some of the not so pleasant names that have run through my head when I have thought of you," I told her, really hoping that she would tell me. For some reason I felt the need to know more about this girl.

"You've thought of me? That's really sweet. All good, I'm sure," she smirked at me before continuing. "I'm Bella."

"Well, Bella, I guess the polite thing for me to do would be to tell you that all things I thought about you were nice. But I think we both know that would be a lie after our not so nice meeting the other day. So instead of lying and trying to be polite, I will ask you a question. What were you doing at my house last weekend?"

"I'm in your mother's book club," she answered, shocking me once again. I thought that the only people in that club were my mother's older friends. Perhaps I should have checked out some of the meetings much sooner. My mom hadn't told me that she was bringing pretty girls over.

We talked a couple of more minutes before I noticed that she was shivering. She had on a jacket, but it was winter in Chicago, so the weather wasn't really friendly for spending a lot of time outdoors, especially at night. I looked at my watch and realized that we had been standing outside talking for quite some time. I suggested that we go in to warm up, and Bella followed back inside.

I expected her to go back to her friends or whoever she had come here with, and I was surprised at the disappointment that coursed through me when I thought about it. But again Bella did the unexpected. She spent the rest of the evening hanging out with me. We drank beer, played a few rounds of drinking games with James and a few other people, and we actually had a good time. When James was ready to leave at about two in the morning, I realized that I wasn't ready to leave Bella. Of course, I had ridden with him so I didn't really have a choice. I turned and told her goodbye before begrudgingly getting up and following James to his car.

Just as I was getting into the passenger seat, I saw the front door open and Bella came running out. "Edward!" She yelled and I immediately walked to her. She tilted her head up to smile at me and grabbed my hand. The next thing I knew I had a phone number written on my palm in black marker.

"Call me sometime," she said before turning and walking back inside. I stood there dumbfounded for a minute, trying to wrap my head around the fact that the girl I had been calling 'rich bitch' had just given me her number. Then I stood there for another minute trying to wrap my head around why I was so happy. As I walked back to James' car I quickly pulled out my phone and typed Bella's number into my contacts. There was no way I wanted to lose that number.


	3. Chapter 3

**Special thanks to Cattinson and Christag Banner for pre-reading this chapter and making me feel so much better about posting it! **

Chapter Two

EPOV

Four days after the party I still hadn't used the phone number that had been written on my hand. However, I had spent the majority of those four days thinking about her. I wanted her. She intrigued me like no other girl had before, and I really wanted to get to know her. Unfortunately, for the first time in a very long time my conscience got in the way of what I wanted and I thought it would be better for her if I didn't call.

Two days after the party I went to my parents' house, unannounced. My father was at the hospital, of course, but my mother was home. That was exactly what I was hoping for because my mother was the person that would have answers to my questions.

I spent a little while just talking to my mom about my classes and what she had been up to lately. She told me some stories about Victoria, reminding me that I hadn't actually seen Alice and my niece in a few weeks. I needed to fix that and try to spend some time with both of them soon.

"So mom," I started after we had been talking a while. "Who was the girl that came here to see you the other day?"

I was trying to be smooth so as not to pique my mother's interest over her question, but it didn't really work. My mother looked at me with a small smile on her face and a knowing look in her eye.

"That's Bella. She is in my book club, sweetheart. She is attending school here at the university, but she grew up in Seattle. She's a sophomore just like you, an English major with a perfect GPA, and she works at a bookstore part time, which is how I met her. She's fantastic," my mother told me.

"She works at a bookstore?" I asked. "Why does a girl that's driving a vehicle like I saw her in need to work at all? There's no way that menial job is paying for that car."

My mom laughed. "Oh Edward, some people work because they want to, not because they have to. Bella's last name is Swan. Does that ring any bells for you?"

Of course I knew her last name, and it did sound familiar, but I couldn't really place it, so I shook my head.

"She is Phillip Swan's granddaughter. Phillip Swan as in the founder of Swan Publishing. She's a trust fund baby, hence the car. But she has a love for books that I'm sure is partially due to the world she grew up in. Bella works because she wants to be around books. She wants to be involved in the publishing world as much as she can even while she is in school."

I was shocked. I had assumed that Bella had money, but I didn't realize that it would be that much money. Of course I had heard of Swan Publishing. Charles Swan, who would have to be Bella's father, had spent a lot of years as a playboy millionaire and had always been in the tabloids. It was only in the past few years that he had straightened his act and really gotten involved in the company. I'd had no idea that he had a daughter, though.

I left my mother's house a little while later and drove to my apartment. I pulled out my phone and stared at her name in my contacts. I wanted to call her, but I wasn't sure that I could date her. She was perfect. I wasn't. Bella really had her shit together, and she really needed a guy that had his shit together, too. That guy wasn't me, and I didn't know if it would be me any time soon. As much as I enjoyed spending time with her the other night at the party, I just couldn't see how the two of us could be anything more than friends.

I'd only known her for a week, and only seen her twice in that time. I wasn't sure why the thought of not seeing a girl that I barely knew made me feel like I was missing out on something important.

A week later I was still thinking about Bella. I hadn't deleted her number from my contacts even though I knew that I should have if I wasn't intending to call her. Now, because I hadn't deleted the damn number, I was close to caving in and calling her.

I was sitting in the quad on campus still looking at her number when I heard someone laugh and it sounded just like Bella. I turned around to find the source, and there she was. Bella was standing with a guy, laughing at something that he said. She looked absolutely beautiful with her head thrown back and a carefree expression on her face.

As I was watching I saw the guy throw his arm around her shoulders and the sight made my stomach twist in knots. Who was that guy? Were they dating? If so, why had she given me her number?

Before I could talk myself out of it, I had gotten up and walked over to her. I knew the instant she saw me. I saw the sharp intake of breath right before she stopped laughing. The guy hadn't noticed yet, but I had. She looked pissed.

"What are you doing here, Edward?" She asked me in a clipped tone. Oh yea, she definitely sounded pissed.

"I left class and little while ago and saw you here," I answered her. "Could we talk for a minute, Bella?" I asked, hoping that she wouldn't tell me no.

The guy didn't seem too happy about my presence, and before she could answer he had already started glaring at me.

"Is there a problem here?" He asked, clearly not happy about my interruption. That shit pissed me off. What business was it of his if I was there talking to Bella? I was just about to say something back to him, but Bella spoke first.

"It's fine, Paul," she replied and scooted out from under the guy's arm. "Go wait for me at my car, this will only take a minute."

He walked off after shooting me one last glaring look, and Bella finally faced me. Her hands were on hips and her head was cocked to one side, studying me.

"What do you want?" She asked me.

I ran my hands through my hair, nervous to actually be talking to her. I hadn't exactly thought through my decision to come here and speak to her, and now I wasn't entirely sure what to say. I couldn't exactly tell her that I had come over because I didn't like seeing another guy with his arm around her. She would think that I was crazy.

Apparently I took too long to answer her because she rolled her eyes and started to walk off. I couldn't just let her get away, though. I had to say something to her.

"Wait, Bella!" I yelled after her and she turned around, obviously not pleased.

"What the hell do you want, Edward?" She yelled at me.

"I want to talk to you. I saw you and I just couldn't not come see you," I told her, hoping it would placate her a little. It didn't.

"You mean you saw me with another guy and didn't like it?" She shot back at me, surprising me. She must have noticed that I didn't expect her to figure that part out because she said "I saw the way you looked at him standing with me. I'm not an idiot. But what I can't figure out is why you care? You've had my number for two weeks and haven't bothered to use it. You can't just all of a sudden decide to talk to me because you see another guy talking to me. It doesn't work that way, Edward."

"You're right, and I'm sorry," I told her, surprising both of us. I hadn't meant to admit that to her, but I couldn't lie to her in that moment. She deserved the truth.

"I didn't call, and it's my own damn fault. I should have. I've thought about you every day since that party. Please let me make it up to you, Bella."

She stared at me for a second before rolling her eyes at me again, but I could see the start of a smile on her lips.

"Make it up to me, huh? I guess I could let you do that. Why don't you start by taking me to dinner this Friday night," she said, once again surprising me. This girl was like nothing I had ever experienced before, and I was starting to love the anticipation of what she would say.

"Dinner Friday night sounds great," I replied, grinning at her. "I might even use that number you gave me before then."

She laughed and said "You better," just as she turned to walk away. It didn't matter right then that she was going to her car where there was another guy waiting. She not only had agreed to dinner with me, but had been the one to make the suggestion. I wasn't worried about Paul one bit.

The next few days flew by and it was finally Friday night. I had indeed used Bella's number over the past few days. I had texted her every day just to say "hi" and see how she was doing. The texts that I got back from her were quickly becoming the best part of my days, and I had to stop myself from constantly texting her just so that I could know what she was doing all the time. Something about this girl made me lose all sense of myself. I never saw myself as the type that dated. I liked girls just fine and had no problem hanging out with them, but before Bella I couldn't even fathom asking a girl on first date. Luckily for me she did that part for me.

I typed the address that Bella had given me into my GPS and headed to her house to pick her up. When I told to my sister Alice about my date she had told me to book a table at a fancy restaurant, but I decided not to do that. I wasn't a fancy type of guy, and I didn't want to give an impression of myself that wasn't true. So I told Bella to dress casually and that I would surprise her with our date when I picked her up.

When I pulled into her driveway, I turned off my car and checked my reflection in the rearview mirror. I tried messing with my hair some to try and tame it, but then just stopped. It was a mess like always, and there was nothing that I could do about it at this point.

I got out of the car and walked to her front door. Before I could even ring the doorbell, though, she had opened the door and was grinning at me.

"You're here! I'm so excited, you have to tell me what we are doing, Edward!" She exclaimed. I couldn't help but smile at how happy she looked in that moment. It was even better than when I had seen her laughing the other day, because this time that gorgeous smile on her face was because of me.

I decided to tease her a little because she was just too cute. "Bella, I thought you were cooking me dinner here? That's why I told you to dress casual. There is no need to dress up when we are just going to stay here at your house."

She pouted at me for a minute before realizing that I was kidding. The minute she realized it she wrapped her arms around my waist and hugged me. It was the first real physical contact that she and I had, and I was stunned. Before I could even react back she had let go and was grinning at me again.

"You're just so adorable, Edward," she said before walking to my car. I just stared after her, once again surprised at her. Would she ever cease to amaze me?

Once I got in the car and started driving, I told her that I was taking her to eat pizza and play arcade games. I was nervous telling her this, because I was worried that maybe Alice had been right and I should have brought her to some fancy restaurant. But Bella seemed happy with what we were doing. I was pretty sure that Bella wouldn't have a problem telling me if she didn't want to do something, so I took her at her word when she said that she was happy with my choice.

As soon as we got to the pizzeria, we ordered our dinner and then headed straight for the games. Bella kicked my ass at Pacman, but then I beat her at air hockey. She was very competitive but not a sore loser, which made it fun. She had a smile on her face the entire time, and I was starting to realize that I her smile was something I loved seeing.

When we sat down to eat our pizza, Bella began her questions. I should have known that she wasn't going to let me out of not having called her as easily as she had.

"So tell me, exactly why didn't you call me for two weeks?" She asked.

I debated on whether or not I should tell her the truth. Part of me wanted to lie to her and just say that I had been busy. But I didn't think that was the best idea. I knew that I was going to want to see her again after this date, so it seemed best to tell her my fears from the beginning.

"I went and saw my mom a few days after the party," I told her. "I asked her about you and she told me everything she knew. It scared me."

Bella just looked at me with a curious expression. Finally she said, "I'm not sure I understand. What scared you? Who my dad is? The money? That doesn't even make sense. You come from a very wealthy and influential family as well. You should be used to all of that."

"It isn't the money. I don't care about money. It was just you, Bella. According to my mom you seem to have your entire life planned out. You have great grades, you know what you want to do. I'm not like that. I don't care about college and am only going because my dad is making me. I have no idea what I want to do after I graduate."

Bella burst out laughing at my comment. "Edward, I'm 19 years old. Yes I know what my major is and I have good grades. Yes I know that at some point I want to work at Swan Publishing. But I by no means have my life together."

I wasn't sure what to say to her. She seemed too perfect sometimes, and it scared me. So I told her that.

"I'm not perfect," she replied. "I'm spoiled and selfish. When I want something, I will do anything in my power to get it. And do you want to know something, Edward?" She asked me.

I nodded at her. I wanted to know anything that she was willing to tell me.

"I want you, Edward. I might have hated you the first time I met you, but now I kind of like you. And I always get what I want. So you're stuck with me now."

I smiled at her then and said "Well in that case, I guess I will just enjoy the ride."

When I was driving Bella back to her house I told her about a party that James was having at his apartment that night. I hadn't planned on going since I was going to be with Bella, but she told me that we should go. I didn't want the date to be over, so I agreed and we headed to the party.

When we walked in I realized that bringing Bella here might not have been the best idea. James and Alec and Marcus, two of my other friends, were stoned out of their minds. A few other guys were there, too, drinking and playing poker. There were two girls hanging all over James and some more girls sitting at the poker table drinking and smoking a joint. I felt Bella grab my hand and I looked at her, realizing that she actually seemed insecure. I wasn't sure if it was because of the drugs or the fact that she didn't know anyone, but I felt bad for not warning her beforehand what would be happening at this party. I didn't even know if Bella had ever been around pot before or if she would be comfortable being around it.

The minute I walked in the door a girl named Renata that hung out with us occasionally walked up to me and handed me a joint. I stared at it for a second before looking at Bella. I couldn't lie, I really wanted to smoke it, but I also didn't want to freak Bella out. Luckily she just smiled at me and nodded, so I took a drag on the joint before walking to the couch and sitting down. I pulled Bella down to sit next to me and wrapped one arm around her while handing her the joint with the other hand. She took it from me, but then just stared at it. Her brows were furrowed in what I assumed to be contemplation and I couldn't help but smile at how adorable she looked.

"Bella," I said, leaning close so that I could whisper talk quietly in her ear. "You don't have to smoke it if you don't want to. It's no big deal."

She looked at me, relief evident on her face, and handed it to me. I passed it back to Renata before turning my attention back to Bella. I was about to reassure her again when James walked over and handed us each a beer. She smiled graciously at him and reminded him that they had met a couple of weeks before. He talked to her for a few minutes before disappearing into his bedroom with one of the girls that had been sitting next to him when we walked in the door.

We stayed there for about an hour, and Bella eventually started to relax. She talked to Alec and Marcus and even cheered on some of the guys playing poker. She drank a few beers, but I made sure that I only drank the one beer since I was going to be driving her back home.

When we got in the car and started back to her house, I noticed that she had a worried look on her face. She was quiet for most of the short drive back, so once we got to her house and I had walked her to her front door, I asked her what was wrong.

"I'm sorry, Edward," she said "I don't care if you do it, but I just don't have any desire to smoke pot. I just don't want you to be pissed if I don't do it."

I smiled at her and tucked a piece of hair that had fallen into her face behind her ear. "Don't sweat it, Bella. I don't care one bit if you don't. I do it because I enjoy it, but I would never want you to do anything you're uncomfortable with."

She smiled her beautiful smile at me and I stepped closer to her. I needed to touch her, to kiss her. I couldn't stop myself. I reached one hand to wrap around her waist and bring her closer to me and then brought my other hand up to cup her cheek. I leaned down slowly, making sure she knew what I was planning to do so she could object if she wanted. But she didn't object. I saw her tilt her head up to mine just before her eyes fluttered closed and our lips touched.

I had intended for our first kiss to be sweet, a way for me to show her how I felt about her even when I didn't know how to form my feelings into words. But the spark I felt the minute our lips met was like nothing I had ever felt before, and I immediately groaned against her mouth, licking her lips with my tongue. She instantly opened her mouth to me and put her own tongue in my mouth, gripping my hair with her hands. The kiss was passionate and intense and so much more than I had imagined it would be. Before I knew it, I had her backed against the front door and my arms were running up and down her sides, trying to grip her as tight to me as possible.

I don't know how long we stayed there kissing, but she eventually pulled away from me. She was breathing her hard and her eyes were slightly glazed over as she looked at me. I rested my forehead against hers, trying to catch my breath.

"I'm sorry, Bella," I told her. "There's just something about you. I couldn't keep my hands away from you any longer."

She smiled and gave me a chaste kiss on my lips. "It's okay. I liked it a lot. That's the problem. I liked it too much and if I hadn't stopped it when I did then I might not have stopped it at all and I'm not ready for that yet."

I smiled down at her before wrapping her into a hug.

"I'm glad that I was what you wanted," I whispered in her ear before letting her go for the night. I smiled the entire way home. That was a fantastic first date.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you to Christag Banner for pre-reading this chapter and for listening to me ramble even when you don't have to! :)**

Chapter Three

I went home after my date with Bella and tried to wrap my head around what I was feeling for her. She was perfect. She said she wasn't, but I couldn't find anything wrong with her. She did deserve someone better. She deserved someone that was more like her, but I wasn't quite a good enough person to leave her alone. I wanted her. Somehow I had gone from hating her to needing her in my life. It happened so fast. I couldn't wrap my head around it.

All night I thought about her. I couldn't sleep because she was on my mind. Bella. I needed to talk to her. I needed to see her. I needed her. I had to give her the choice. I had told her some about my life, but not everything. She didn't know that my father and I rarely got along and that I would do anything to not turn in to the same man as him. She didn't know that I would rather do nothing with my life than to be the same boring doctor as my dad with the wife and the house and the kids. She didn't know that I did drugs because they were my escape from the perfect person that my father expected me to be. And she didn't know that I had no intention of changing any of that. She deserved to know so that she could make her decision. And even though I didn't want to admit it, I was really hoping that she would still want me.

I flipped over in my bed and looked at the clock. 7:00 A.M. I sighed and then got out of bed. I took the fastest shower in the world, got dressed, and grabbed my keys. I had to see her. I had to talk to her and it couldn't wait.

When I got to Bella's house, I didn't give myself a chance to change my mind. I walked straight to her front door and rang the doorbell. When she didn't answer, I grabbed my cell and called her. She didn't answer that either. I stood out there for five minutes, alternating between ringing the doorbell and calling her cell phone. Even the heaviest sleeper wouldn't sleep through all of my knocking and doorbell ringing. Where the hell was she?

After another five minutes I finally gave up. She obviously wasn't at home, which made me wonder just where the hell she could be before eight o'clock on a Saturday morning? Did she even stay here last night? Did she go somewhere after I dropped her off? Fuck, this girl was driving me insane and I had only taken her on one date. It was ridiculous. I was being ridiculous. I needed to get over this infatuation that I suddenly had with her. I needed to get her off my mind.

I was walking down her front steps when I heard the door open behind me and Bella's voice called my name. I turned around and the second my eyes landed on her, I was lost. I couldn't stop staring at her. She was standing in her doorway wearing nothing but a short black robe. Her hair was hanging over one shoulder, dripping wet. The water from her hair was running down the slight opening of her robe at her chest. Long, toned legs were on full display for me. She looked perfect. Beautiful. Sexy. And I wanted her.

Bella cocked her head at me, obviously waiting for an explanation. I walked back up the steps until I was standing directly in front of her. I was mesmerized by her. Before I could even think about what I was doing, I had grabbed her by the waist and pulled her flush against me.

"You're beautiful," I whispered, before I crashed my lips against hers. I knew I had surprised her, but she immediately responded to me. She opened her mouth and met my tongue with hers. She tasted delicious. I tightened my hold on her waist and she brought her hands up and fisted them in my hair. She began to back up, but she never loosened her grip on me. I realized that she was backing me into her house, so I slid my hands down over her ass and lifted her. She wrapped her legs around my waist and I couldn't help but moan into her mouth. I walked us inside and kicked the door shut behind me.

I walked over to Bella's couch and sat down, settling Bella down in my lap so that she was straddling me. She didn't seem to mind. One hand was still in my hair, but the other had made its way under my shirt and her nails were lightly scraping over my abdomen. I kissed my way down her jaw and to her throat, reveling in the noises that Bella was making. She was definitely enjoying this.

I nudged her robe off of her left shoulder and continued to kiss her collarbone, her shoulder, everywhere that I could reach. I pushed her robe down further, and she moved her hands from my body long enough to completely shrug the robe off of her arms. The view that was left in front of me was breathtaking. She wasn't wearing a bra, so I was left staring at her perfect tits. She was flushed, her eyes hooded, her hair slowly drying into curls around her shoulders. I couldn't resist her. I bent down and captured one of her perfect nipples in my mouth, gently sucking on it. Her response was immediate. She arched her back, giving me a better angle to kiss my way across her chest, and she once again tangled her hands in my hair.

"Yes, Edward!" She exclaimed and then she ground herself down on my erection. Fuck, she felt so god damn good in my arms, sitting with only a thin pair of lace panties and my jeans between her and my cock. I thrust my hips up, and she once again moaned out my name.

"Don't stop, please don't stop," she said. I had no intention of stopping. I had never felt this good before and I wanted to make her feel good, too. She continued to grind on my cock as I kissed her tits, alternating between soft kisses and then quick nibbles. She obviously really liked what I was doing as she continued to rub herself over my cock faster and faster, seeking some kind of friction.

Her movements, my mouth on her tits, the sounds that she was making. It was all too much for me. I could feel my orgasm building and I knew it wouldn't take long. I couldn't believe that I was going to cum in my pants, but with Bella on top of me there was no stopping it from happening. But I was going to make sure that she came, too.

I kissed my way back up her neck and grabbed a handful of her hair, bringing her lips back to mine. She was close. I could tell that she was by how erratic her moves were on top of me. I wanted her to cum. I needed her to cum on top of me. I wanted to see what she would look like because I knew that it would be a beautiful sight.

I pulled back from her slightly, and said "Cum for me, beautiful. Please cum for me." Her eyes snapped open to meet mine, she screamed out my name, and then she fell apart in my arms. The sight of her triggered my own release and with a shout I was cumming right after her. She had no idea what the sight of her was doing to me.

I wrapped my arms around her and placed kisses all over her face. I felt her smile against me and I leaned back so that I could see her. She was glowing and beautiful. And she was smiling. I always wanted to see her smiling.

"I'm not sure what you came here for, but I'm glad that you decided to show up here this morning," she said.

I smirked at her. "You opened that door in that tiny little robe with water dripping off of you and I lost my mind. Don't you know better than to answer a door looking like that?" I asked her.

She laughed and shook her head. "Believe me I had no idea my tiny robe would do that to you. I was in the shower, but as soon as I got out I heard the knocking and the doorbell and saw the missed calls from you. I was trying to hurry and get to the door to see what you needed."

"Well I'm glad that you did come to that door. This has been the best morning of my life."

She giggled again and then laid her head against my chest. She was still in my lap, and even though I needed to clean up the mess in my pants, I didn't want to let her go. So I just wrapped my arms around her and enjoyed the feel of her in my arms. It felt really great.

After a few minutes she raised her head back up and looked at me. "You still haven't told me what you actually came here for," she said to me.

I had to tell her. I had to talk to her. She definitely deserved to know after what had just happened. So I excused myself to the bathroom and told her that I would tell her after I had cleaned up a little. She giggled again – a sound that was quickly becoming one of my favorite sounds in the world – and said that she was going to put on some clothes. I was not entirely happy about seeing the robe go, but it was probably for the best if we were going to talk.

When I walked back out of the bathroom, Bella was in the kitchen making coffee. She had put on a pair of jeans and tank top, and had thrown her hair into a messy ponytail on top of her head. She was barefoot, and I noticed that her toenails were painted hot pink. She was adorable.

She handed me a cup of coffee and then poured one for herself before walking back over to her couch. I knew that she expected me to sit next to her, but I couldn't be close to her while I talked to her about this. I needed some distance if I was going to make it through this conversation. She frowned slightly when I took the chair across from her, but didn't say anything.

I took a deep breath, and then just decided to blurt it out. "I came here because I needed to talk about us. About if it's a good idea for us to date."

The instant the words left my mouth I realized how terrible they sounded. That hadn't come out right at all, but before I could correct myself, Bella started talking.

"Edward Cullen, I will kick your ass if you tell me that we should just be friends after what just happened on this couch this morning," she said, obviously furious. I had to backtrack.

I put my coffee cup down and then walked over to where she was sitting. Fuck not being close to her, I had to fix this and let her know just how much I wanted her.

"Baby," I said, rubbing my thumb across her cheek. "That came out all wrong. I don't want to just be your friend. I want more with you, Bella. But I need to tell you about my life so that you can decide if it's what you want, too."

She just stared at me, obviously confused. So I told her everything.

"You've met my mom and been to my house, so you know that I had a privileged upbringing. I love both of my parents and my older sister very much. But I've never wanted the life that my father wants for me. I've never wanted their life. He's the famous surgeon with the perfect housewife. They have the beautiful house and the two kids. We went to the best private schools where my mom would bake cookies for us and watch our school plays and my dad worked long hours. We barely saw him. And now he wants me to follow in his footsteps."

Bella just shook her head. "I don't understand, Edward. Why would you not wanting to be a surgeon bother me? I don't care if you aren't a doctor."

"It's more than that. I've never been in a relationship before. My sister got pregnant at sixteen by some douchebag that left the minute he found out. I was only fourteen, so I spent most of my teen years helping take care of a baby. It scared the shit out of me, so I never had relationships. I didn't want to deal with accidentally knocking a girl up. I don't want a kid. I don't want to work all the time so that my wife and kids can have nice things. I want to do what I want without worrying about anyone else."

"But you went on a date with me," Bella said.

"I know," I replied and scooted closer to her. "You are the first girl that I've ever wanted to date. But you are so perfect. I'm not perfect. I smoke pot and skip class and drink. I don't want to change who I am. I just want to have you with all of that. But it has to be your decision. You need to know that I'm not going to be that guy that sweeps you off of your feet and gives you that kind of life. It just isn't me. I'm not going to change, Bella."

Bella huffs and rolls her eyes. "I've already told you that I'm not perfect, Edward. You really need to try and understand that. And I don't care that you don't want some white picket fence fantasy of a life. We are nineteen. I don't exactly want all of that either. And I don't want you to change. I like you the way you are. So we're different. Who cares? I just want to get to know you. Right I know that you don't like college, you do like pot, and you are an excellent kisser. I don't care what you think about yourself. I know what I think about you, and you are what I want. I want to know more. I want to know it all. I'm not going anywhere."

That was all I needed to hear. I wrapped Bella in my arms and inhaled her scent. We were going to do this. I was going to start a relationship with this beautiful girl. And for once in a very long time, I felt happy.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N – Thanks to everyone that is reading and reviewing. I'm trying to get on a better update schedule so that you guys aren't waiting. I'm hoping to start updating at least once a week. **

**A big thanks to Christag Banner for all of your help! **

Chapter Four

A week later Bella was at my apartment, cooking me dinner. We had seen each other every day since we talked last Saturday, and it had been great. We had talked about so many things, and I had learned a lot about Bella. Of course, my favorite thing that I learned was that I had been Bella's first kiss. That conversation was definitely a shock. It had happened at her house after class this past Wednesday.

"_I have a question for you," Bella said as she snuggled against my side. Bella was a snuggler, and I had found that I actually really liked it. I hummed against her as I continued to play with the ends of her hair. _

"_You can tell me if it is too personal. But I'm just curious. You told me that you were never in a relationship because you didn't want to chance knocking a girl up. So does that mean that you've never had sex?" _

_It wasn't a question that I was expecting, but I knew it was something we would eventually have to talk about. _

"_No, Bella," I said. "I've never had sex. I've only ever really kissed a few girls. I haven't really done much else."_

_Bella looked up at me, shock evident on her face._

"_Are you serious?" She asked me and I nodded. "Yes, I'm serious. There's never been anyone that I've liked enough to pursue a relationship with. And like I told you, seeing what Alice went through with Victoria made me very cautious. So I learned early on to just make do with porn and my hand," I said, waggling my eyebrows at her. _

"_You do realize that there are condoms? And birth control? You know, ways to not get pregnant," she said with a teasing tone. _

"_Does that mean you have those things, just waiting to make an honest man out of me?" I shot back at her, playfully._

_She laughed and just shook her head. "You never fail to shock me, Edward. I was worried that I was going to be too inexperienced for you. I'm glad now to know that isn't the case."_

"_Well now it's your turn, Miss Swan. How many fuckers do I need to track down and beat to a pulp for having touched you before me?" I asked her, only slightly joking. I really didn't like the idea of any other guy having touched her before me. _

_She giggled and gave my lips a quick kiss. "Simmer down," she told me. "There's no one for you to track down. You were my first kiss."_

_I stared at her, shocked. My mind wandered back to our first kiss and how I had meant to be gentle, but ended up pushing her against a wall and claiming her mouth as my own. A part of me thought that I should apologize for that and tell her that if I had known I would have been more gentle. I would have made it more special for her. But I didn't say those things because the bigger part of me loved our first kiss. And I loved that it was me and no one else. _

I was grinning to myself when my phone rang and I saw Alice's name flash across the screen. I answered, hoping to hear how my niece was doing.

"Edward! I miss you so much! You have to come see me and your sweet niece next weekend. Dinner at mom and dad's."

I smiled and said "Of course, sis. Anything to see my favorite girl. How is Victoria by the way?"

As Alice was telling me about how Victoria was doing, Bella leaned her head out of the kitchen and yelled out to me "I can't find the wine opener, sweetie. Do you know where it is?"

I put Alice on hold, found the wine opener for Bella, gave her a quick kiss, and then grabbed my phone again.

"Are you still there?" I asked, not sure if Alice had enough patience to wait for me.

"Oh I'm definitely still here," she said. "And you are definitely going to tell me who that girl was and why I haven't heard about her before now. You don't bring girls back to your apartment, Edward. Ever. So spill."

So I told her about Bella. I couldn't say much because Bella was here cooking me dinner and I didn't want to ignore her. But I told Alice enough to make her happy. It was also enough for Alice to demand that I bring Bella to dinner with me next weekend.

I hadn't actually thought about Bella meeting my parents. Part of that was because she already knew my mom. In fact, I knew that just last Sunday she had gone back to my mom's house for another book club meeting. So I hadn't really thought of needing to introduce Bella to my dad or my sister. But the minute Alice mentioned it, I realized that I wanted Bella to meet them. I wanted Bella to know every aspect of my life.

Later when we were eating the delicious dinner that Bella had made and I asked her about last weekend, I was rewarded with one of her beautiful smiles. Those smiles never ceased to make my heart start pounding, and I loved that the more time we spent together the more I saw those smiles. I loved knowing that I put them on her face.

A week later we were driving to my parents' house and I could tell that Bella was nervous. She was fidgeting in the passenger seat, and it was driving me insane.

"Bella, why are you nervous?" I asked her.

"I can't help it. What if they don't like me?" She said and I couldn't help but laugh.

"My mom already loves you. My dad will just be glad that I'm a dating a girl that actually has ambition. Alice will be happy to have a girl that she can drag shopping with her. And Victoria loves everyone. You will be fine baby," I told her and she gave me a small smile back.

When we got to the house, we had barely even made it to the door before my mother was opening it and pulling Bella into a hug.

"Oh Bella!" She exclaimed as she was hugging her. "I was so happy when Edward told me that the two of you started dating. I was hoping that this would happen!"

She let go of Bella and turned to hug me then, and I winked at Bella over my mom's shoulder. I could see that some of Bella's anxiety had lessened, so I was grateful for that.

"Sweetie, I can't believe that you are finally bringing a girl home for me to meet! And such a sweet one. I'm proud of you, Edward," she said, and I could tell that she was holding back tears. My mother was also so emotional and Alice definitely got her flair for the dramatic from our mother.

My mother finally allowed us to come inside, and that's when Bella met my dad, Alice and Victoria. She was overwhelmed by my exuberant sister and niece, and I could tell that she was trying really hard to make a good impression on my father. It worked, of course. My mom had obviously told him who her family was and I could see that my father was happy that I brought home a girl that was not only gorgeous but also smart and working towards a very high goal. At least I did something right for him.

As Bella was talking to my father about the classes she was enrolled in at the university, Alice came to talk to me.

"Edward, she's so beautiful! I had no idea that you had such good taste in girls," she said to me with a smile. I rolled my eyes, but I was also grinning. I loved that everyone else could see the perfection of my Bella.

"She's important to me, Alice. I've only known her a short while, but she means a lot to me."

Alice just squealed and threw her arms around me. Yea, she definitely got that from our mother.

Victoria came over to me then and sat on my lap.

"Unc Unc, are you going to marry Bella?" Victoria asked me. "My friend Katie said her daddy brought a girl home and then they got married. Is that why you brought Bella here? Because I want to be in the wedding! I can wear a pretty dress and tell everyone that my Unc Unc is the handsomest groom ever!"

Alice burst out laughing at the shocked expression on my face. My niece loved attention and she also loved asking questions. Only she would assume that my bringing Bella here meant I was getting married.

I looked at Alice for help but she just shrugged. "It's a valid question, Edward," she said, and I glared at her. I could see Bella and my dad watching me out of the corner of my eye, obviously waiting for my answer. Crap. Why did a five year old have to complicate everything?

"Tori, Bella and I aren't getting married. She's my girlfriend, but we are still in school. You never want to get married while you're in school because education is the most important thing in the world. Besides, you have to be at least thirty before you can get married," I said to her. Alice was snickering, obviously finding my claim humorous, but it was the best I could come up with on short notice. Besides, I wanted to make sure she knew early on that getting married young was not an option for her. Maybe I would let her after she was thirty. Maybe.

"But Unc Unc, Bella's pretty! If you marry her then I can show her to my friends!" Victoria explained, obviously put out that I wasn't marrying the first pretty girl that she saw me with. Oh to be that young and innocent again. Things are so simple in her mind.

Before I could say anything else, Bella sat beside me and brushed Victoria's curly hair away from her face. "Tori, just because Edward and I aren't getting married doesn't mean I won't be around. Any time you want to see me you can just call me. I will give your mommy my phone number. How does that sound?"

Victoria beamed at her. "Yay!" She exclaimed and then jumped off my lap, probably in search of Esme to tell her the good news. I turned to Bella and wrapped my arm around her.

"It seems as though you have definitely won over my niece. You're just so pretty," I told her and she blushed.

"She's not the only one I've won over apparently. I hear that I have myself a boyfriend," she said smiling at me. Yea, she had definitely heard the part where I told Victoria that Bella was my girlfriend. I guess I should have asked her first.

I smiled sheepishly at Bella and shrugged my shoulders. She giggled and kissed my cheek. "I don't mind it, Edward. I kind of like having a hot boyfriend that is all mine," she said and my heart started pounding a little faster. It felt damn good to hear Bella claim me as hers.

Alice broke our little moment when she exclaimed how adorable we were and then mom announced that dinner was ready. We all went into the dining room and began to eat. Everyone wanted Bella's attention. My mom wanted to talk to her about books, my dad wanted to talk to her about business classes, and my sister wanted to talk to her about planning a shopping trip. Even my niece seemed fixated on Bella and barely talked to me in favor of talking to her instead. But it made me happy. I was glad that she seemed to fit in so perfectly with my family.

As we were getting ready to leave, my father called me in to his office. I couldn't believe that I was going to get yet another lecture when I had come to have a nice family dinner. But my dad surprised me.

"Edward, I just want you to know that I'm proud of you," he said, and I raised my eyebrows, not at all expecting that.

"I know that you've been going to your classes more, which was one of the stipulations that I had given you. I also know that you aren't completely failing all of your classes this semester. It seems as though Bella and her goals and aspirations are rubbing off on you. You've done good, son. Keep it up," he said and I just nodded. This was the first time that I had gotten any kind of praise from my father in a long time. Of course, it's also the first time that I've done anything he wanted in a long time.

I told my father bye and then Bella and I left, with Bella promising Alice that she would go shopping with her next week. Once we got in the car, Bella attacked me. She grabbed my face and started kissing me, trying to get her body as close to mine as she could with the console in between us. I kissed her back hungrily, not caring that we were sitting in my parents' driveway. Nothing mattered as long as Bella's lips were on mine.

Once our kissing slowed down, I pulled back and smiled at Bella. "Not that I'm complaining," I said, "but what brought all of that on?"

She giggled and gave me one more quick kiss before straightening herself back in her own seat.

"I wanted to kiss my boyfriend. You just looked so sexy today and I was too nervous before we came to fully appreciate it," she said and I smirked at her. I was wearing jeans and an Aerosmith concert t-shirt, but I had learned over the past few weeks that Bella liked it when I just wore loose t-shirts. She said that it gave her better access to run her hands under my shirt and over my chest. And that was definitely one thing that Bella did a lot of, not that I was complaining.

As we drove back to Bella's house I apologized again for calling her my girlfriend without talking to her first. Bella just smiled at me and laid her head on my shoulder.

"I liked it, Edward," she said to me, quietly. "It was what I wanted, I was just waiting for you to catch up. I want to be yours and only yours."

I smiled at that thought. Bella was mine.

**A/N – Things are going okay.. for now! Next chapter there will be one-on-one Bella and Edward time! **

**I've created a Twitter account.. I've never been on Twitter so I'm definitely still learning, but I am hoping to post updates on there about my stories. The link is on my profile!**


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